B-Sustainable Archivi - Brighi Group https://www.brighigroup.com/en/subjects/b-sustainable-en/ Home textile e di prodotti imbottiti per il design d'arredo tramandando l'innovazione come cultura d'impresa. Fri, 13 Jun 2025 10:09:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://www.brighigroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/cropped-android-chrome-512x512-1-32x32.png B-Sustainable Archivi - Brighi Group https://www.brighigroup.com/en/subjects/b-sustainable-en/ 32 32 CLOSING THE LOOP: THE RECYCLING POTENTIAL IN HOME TEXTILE https://www.brighigroup.com/en/blog/2024/10/31/closing-the-loop-the-recycling-potential-in-home-textile/ Thu, 31 Oct 2024 08:35:56 +0000 https://www.brighigroup.com/closing-the-loop-the-recycling-potential-in-home-textile/ The textile industry is rapidly expanding, with fibers and fabrics being predominantly used in clothing and home textiles. This surge in production has led to an urgent need to manage vast amounts of waste—amounting to an average of 15 kg yearly per person in Europe alone. To put this into perspective, textiles rank as the […]

L'articolo CLOSING THE LOOP: THE RECYCLING POTENTIAL IN HOME TEXTILE proviene da Brighi Group.

]]>

CLOSING THE LOOP: THE RECYCLING POTENTIAL IN HOME TEXTILE

The textile industry is rapidly expanding, with fibers and fabrics being predominantly used in clothing and home textiles. This surge in production has led to an urgent need to manage vast amounts of waste—amounting to an average of 15 kg yearly per person in Europe alone. To put this into perspective, textiles rank as the 4th largest sector in terms of raw material and water consumption, trailing only food, construction, and transport, according to the European Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan.

As might be expected, 85% of this waste comes from post-consumer, i.e., used and discarded textiles. The remainder belongs to the post-industrial category, meaning the surplus fabric produced during garment manufacturing, and pre-consumer, i.e., failed products and unsold merchandise.

FIBER AND FABRICS RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES

Despite of the textile waste typology, research is underway to develop methods for reintegrating textile waste back into the production cycle and “close the loop”. Recycling methods for fiber and fabrics are divided into two macro categories: mechanical recycling and chemical recycling.

MECHANICAL RECYCLING

This is one of the simplest and most cost-effective recycling methods for post-industrial waste, and it is currently the most widely used. The process relies on mechanical actions like cutting, tearing, and shredding to transform textiles back into usable fibers. These resulting fibers can either be directly utilized to produce wipes, padding, non-woven products, or acoustic and thermal insulation materials, or they can undergo limited rounds of spinning for reuse. This latter is known as fiber-to-fiber recycling, and it is gaining significant relevance due to its upcycling potential.

CHEMICAL RECYCLING

This technique involves breaking down the polymer structure of textile fibers, reducing textiles to their basic components (depolymerization) and then repolymerizes them, producing a high-quality end product similar to virgin fibers. This process supports upcycling, as it creates fibers that can be used for higher-quality fabric products. However, these methods are generally more challenging to manage and not always economically viable.

Despite the potential of such technologies, there are basic barriers that lie in the fiber composition and the fabric construction. In the first instance, the difficulty arises from recycling materials that are not composed entirely of the same fiber, which requires more careful sorting, and still result in a lower quality final material. The pre-processing phase becomes even more complicated with fabrics, as they may be part of products that include zippers, buttons, and other hard components that must be meticulously removed to facilitate processing. Additionally, woven fabrics are generally more complex to recycle than knits due to their rigid and sturdy structure, which makes the separation of internal fibers more labor-intensive.

HOME TEXTILE RECYCLING SOLUTIONS

Source: Scaling textile recycling in Europe – turning waste into value, McKinsey

According to the McKinsey study “Scaling textile recycling in Europe—turning waste into value,” if current barriers were overcome through increased investment in textile recycling technologies, these latter could reach their full potential, and the proportion of recyclable textile waste could rise from 18% to 26% within 10 years. Additionally, many companies could finally achieve a greener footprint and reap the associated benefits.

Some companies have already made textile waste recycling their core business, giving discarded materials new life with similar or even improved quality. In the home textile industry, for instance, recycled fibers can be reintroduced into the production cycle as pillow covers (especially in non-woven fabrics) or as filling materials.

Additionally, fabrics from defective or unsold products present significant opportunities, as they do not require the same treatments as post-consumer items and can be reprocessed into higher-quality products. One of the most striking examples is quilted fabric, which, due to its simple construction and thickness allows for a variety of recycling and reusing options. It can be repurposed to make new quilts, pet beds, bags, decorative cushions’ cases or more generally bed linens. Moreover, if processed adding also virgin fiber, it can produce upcycled products.

In this sector, not only can textile scraps be repurposed, but mattresses also offer significant opportunities. It’s worth noting that each year, 5 million mattresses are discarded in landfills in Italy alone, with each occupying up to 40 ft3 of space (more than 1m3). In reality, each mattress is made up of components that can be recovered (75%) and reused in other industries once processed (such as the production of insulation for the construction, civil, and steel sectors). For instance, foam can be shredded and rebonded to create new products such as carpets, carpet padding, or even new mattresses, and in some cases, it can be processed into insulation materials.

WHAT BRIGHI BRINGS ON THE TABLE

At Brighi Group, we strongly believe that transitioning to a circular and sustainable business model is only possible with the right technology. Recycling production waste before it is used—thus minimizing the need for more complex processing—is a top priority. Our commitment is to equip companies with the machinery they need to efficiently recycle their own waste, enabling them to become self-sufficient in the process. By implementing advanced recycling methods and technologies for production waste, companies will not only be relieved of the burden of disposing of their waste and its associated costs, but also transform their production cycle into one that is both environmentally sustainable and economically profitable.

L'articolo CLOSING THE LOOP: THE RECYCLING POTENTIAL IN HOME TEXTILE proviene da Brighi Group.

]]> STRAIGHT TALK, CIRCULAR ECONOMY. https://www.brighigroup.com/en/blog/2023/06/06/straight-talk-circular-economy/ Tue, 06 Jun 2023 08:01:44 +0000 https://www.brighigroup.com/2023/06/06/straight-talk-circular-economy/ There is no way around it: sustainability is becoming a real issue for companies in every sector, including in home textile, as the need to promote new ways of thinking about the life of goods and how waste is recycled is becoming more and more urgent. And it is precisely recycling that has been recognized […]

L'articolo STRAIGHT TALK, CIRCULAR ECONOMY. proviene da Brighi Group.

]]>

STRAIGHT TALK, CIRCULAR ECONOMY.

There is no way around it: sustainability is becoming a real issue for companies in every sector, including in home textile, as the need to promote new ways of thinking about the life of goods and how waste is recycled is becoming more and more urgent. And it is precisely recycling that has been recognized over the years among the top solutions to implement sustainable processes that benefit the planet and its people.

Sustainability no longer means extra expenses. That time is long gone and manufacturers have started to realize that by recycling production scraps they can turn materials they’d otherwise throw away into a new resource for the company, while also promoting sustainable practices that can make a difference at all levels of the supply chain. A win-win.

This focus on sustainability has become a necessity for companies because of the push from both below (the consumers) and above (regulations).

THE TEXTILE SECTOR’S TRANSITION TO A SUSTAINABLE AND CIRCULAR PRODUCTION

All around the world, frameworks are being studied to reduce textile waste and optimize the item’s end of life. Just in the EU, textile waste reaches 5.8 million tons every year (source: A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion’s future), making this sector the fourth highest negative impact on the environment and on climate change. That’s why the textile industry has been identified by the 2020 Circular Economy Action Plan and the 2021 update of the EU Industrial Strategy as a sector with a strong potential for the transition to sustainable and circular production.

A specific framework and a vision for the transition of the textiles sector have been put in place, according to which:

“by 2030 textile products placed on the EU market are long-lived and recyclable, to a great extent made of recycled fibers, free of hazardous substances and produced in respect of social rights and the environment”.

The path has already been traced; although there is still a long road ahead.

In the U.S., the focus is more on mattress recycling, considering that more than 50,000 of them are discarded every single day. That’s why the MRC (Mattress Recycling Council) was created by ISPA to provide resources, education and support to states that have already enacted mattress recycling laws. For over 10 years now, California, Connecticut and Rhode Island have required mattress manufacturers to create specific recycling programs while Oregon, and other states are about to start doing the same. Other initiatives are already being put in place in other places, like the ban on the disposal of mattresses and textiles as trash in Massachusetts (source: ​​https://www.recyclingtoday.com/news/mattress-ban-grants-food-waste-massachusetts-municipal-commercial/).

CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS ON MATTRESSES’ SUSTAINABILITY

On top of the regulatory framework, statistics have shown that consumer expectations are changing and an environmentally conscious company holds more value in the eye of the consumer and reinforces the brand perception: in other words, a sustainable company is more trustworthy.

The Better Sleep Council conducted a new consumer research study, published by BedTimes Magazine (https://mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?m=22801&i=775541&p=22&ver=html5), which shows that most consumers (82%) will consider sustainability when purchasing a mattress: especially Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to buy only sustainable mattresses. More than half (54%) of the younger generations claims that it is very important that the mattress be recyclable at the end if its life. These data show that on top of the overall support for sustainability, with the younger generations this support increases. Sustainability will therefore become an even more pressing issue in the future.

When purchasing a mattress, which of the following best describes your consideration of a mattress that is manufactured using environmentally sustainable practices or materials?

  • I will only buy a mattress that is manufactured using environmentally sustainable practices or materials
  • I will consider sustainability along with other features that are important to me
  • I will not consider sustainability when purchasing a mattress
  • None of these

(Base; All Qualified Respondents; N=1005)

WHAT BRIGHI BRINGS TO THE TABLE

Our approach to sustainability ties in well with our drive to work every day to make manufacturing processes savvier and more efficient. At the same time, we always keep in mind what has to be done to protect the planet: it’s necessary to give up a linear economy model where an item is produced-used-discarded in favor of a circular economy model where production scraps are recovered and, ultimately, re-enter the supply chain.

 

Over the years, we have researched and found ways to recycle foam, fiber and fabric waste to turn it into a new filling material for pillows, cushions, pet beds, mattresses, sofas and much more. This is possible thanks to state-of-the-art machinery like foam shredders that can work with PU waste of different types and densities. The output, shredded foam, can be used both for filling or to produce blocks of rebonded foam, used not only in home textile but also in other sectors, such as automotive and construction. At the same time, our fiber and fabric waste openers can handle production scrap of different types such as non-woven fabric, quilted fabric and thermobonded fabric waste, which, mixed with a minimum percentage of recycled fiber, can reach a high level of resilience and therefore can be used to manufacture high quality products.

 

What does it mean to choose a circular model for bedding manufacturers?

  • Save space by compacting waste.
  • Give value to production scraps, which are worth as much as the original raw material. On top of that, it is a material you’d have to pay to get rid of. By reusing it you can attribute the right value and create from a noble material another noble material that you can either use or sell, while reducing the amount of raw materials you purchase.
  • Maintain similar features thanks to machines that deliver an output similar to the original material in resilience and consistency.

Choosing Brighi means choosing a better way of heading to the future, prioritizing product quality whilst reckoning with the major role that a sustainable vision has on a successful business model.

L'articolo STRAIGHT TALK, CIRCULAR ECONOMY. proviene da Brighi Group.

]]>